Formed in 1963 in Birmingham after the Welsh guitarist Spencer Davis encountered vocalist and organist Steve Winwood (then aged 14 and still at school), and his bass playing brother Muff Winwood performing at a pub, the Golden Eagle, as the Muff Woody Jazz Band. He recruited them and Pete York on drums to form the Rhythm and Blues Quartette, which performed regularly in the city. In 1964, they signed their first recording contract after Chris Blackwell of Island Records saw them at an appearance in a local club; Blackwell also became their producer.
The group's first professional recording was a cover version of Dimples, but they came to success at the end of 1965 with Keep on Running, the group's first number one single. In 1966 they followed this with Somebody Help Me and When I Come Home. For the German market the group released "Det war in Schöneberg, im Monat Mai" and "Mädel ruck ruck ruck an meine grüne Seite" (the first is from a 1913 Berlin operetta, the second is a Swabian traditional) as a tribute single for that audience, Spencer Davis having studied in West Berlin in the early 1960s.
By the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967, the group released two more hits, Gimme Some Lovin' (which was re-released in a live, nine-minute version by Steve Winwood's Traffic in 1971) and I'm A Man. These tracks proved to be their two best-known successes, especially in the U.S.
In 1967, Winwood left to form Traffic; his brother Muff moved into the music industry as A&R man at Island Records. In a so-called joint venture, the soundtrack to the film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush featured both the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic.
Despite the Winwoods' departure, the Spencer Davis Group continued performing and released more singles, though not repeating earlier successes. These included Time Seller in July 1967; the b-side, Don't Want You No More, also received radio airplay.
This was followed by "Mr. Second-Class" in late 1967, which was heavily played on Radio Caroline (at that time one of the two remaining pirate radio ships off the British coast) and the group's last minor hit, "After Tea", in 1968. The latter song was released at the same time by the German band The Rattles, providing competition that led finally to a temporary stop to all activities of the band. Davis continued working, however, producing some jazz-oriented albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Although short-lived, The Spencer Davis Group - particularly its incarnation with Steve Winwood - was influential, with many of the band's songs covered by other artists over the years. Notable among these are Chicago's 1969 version of "I'm a Man," The Allman Brothers Band's 1969 take of "Don't Want You No More," Three Dog Night's 1970 recording of "Can't Get Enough of It," and The Blues Brothers' 1980 recording of "Gimme Some Lovin'."
This Hammer
The Spencer Davis Group Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Workin' on the railroad for a dollar a day
Workin' on the railroad for a dollar a day
Workin' on the railroad for a dollar a day
Gotta earn my money, boys, gotta earn my pay
Take this hammer, take it to the captain
Take this hammer, take it to the captain
Tell him I'm gone, buddy, you can tell him I'm gone
If he asks ya, was I laughin'
If he asks ya, was I laughin'
If he asks ya, was I laughin'
Tell him I'm cryin, buddy, tell him I'm cryin'
Take this hammer (etc)
The Spencer Davis Group's song "This Hammer" is a blues-inspired tune that reveals a man's pain and struggle as he works on the railroad for a dollar a day. His hard work is motivated by the need to earn his money and pay his bills, but the physical and emotional labor is taking a toll on him.
The singer pleads with his friend to take a hammer to the captain and tell him that he's gone. He cannot continue to work under these conditions. He asks his friend to tell the captain that he's crying, which suggests that he has been struggling with his work and his life in general. The captain represents the oppressive force that he must work against, but he cannot do it anymore.
Overall, the song is a representation of a person's struggle and the challenges that come with working hard for a living. It highlights the pain that people endure in their quest to make a living, the struggles they face, and the emotional toll this can take on them.
Line by Line Meaning
Workin' on the railroad for a dollar a day
I am toiling away on the railroad for an insufficient wage
Gotta earn my money, boys, gotta earn my pay
I need to make earning my money a top priority despite the difficulties
Take this hammer, take it to the captain
Take this tool to the overseer in charge of our work
Tell him I'm gone, buddy, you can tell him I'm gone
Inform him that I am no longer there, my workday has ended
If he asks ya, was I laughin'
In the case that he inquires whether I was in good spirits
Tell him I'm cryin, buddy, tell him I'm cryin'
Reveal to him that I was actually crying and not laughing
Take this hammer, take it to the captain
Bring the tool to the supervisor once again
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTONIO DONA', CRISTIANO GIUSBERTI, GIANLUCA PERUZZI, LUCA ANTOLINI, MAURO FARINA, PAOLINO NOBILE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Massen
What a great tune to dance to.I first heard this in the Twisted Wheel.Great times.
Mike Eastwood
Same here, bought it on a French ep
carla martinez paredes
Con este tema lo recuerdo a mi viejo.. cada vez que lo recuerdo es una lágrima pero se que está conmigo.. te extraño una banda donde quieras que estés..
tellarjj
So nice song from the Spencer Group !
michel cange
J'adore le "Spencer Davis Group". Je ne connaissais pas ce 45 tours que je trouve pas mal du tout. Il me fait penser un peu à un disque de: "John Fred & Playboys avec le titre: "Judy In Disguise". Vive les années 60. Les meilleures.
Evelin Taubert
Habe sie live gesehen 2018 ,das hätte ich nie gedacht, ich hatte Gänsehaut, jetzt ist Spencer gestorben, eine Legende!
juha vesanen
Simple but great... and Stevie Winwood is only 17 years old when singing this on tape...!
juha vesanen
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT BAND MUSIC FROM THE 1960'S... SIMPLE BUT EXCELLENT...!
Hugo Horacio Chazarreta
Hermoso tema que me trae recuerdos vividos en nose dice bailable el templo del rock
Ove Söderdahl
R.I.P Spencer Davis